12
Apr
2005
The Quad Cities' first taste of a band that has restored some people's faith in heavy metal comes this week. Strapping Young Lad will play at Quad City Live in Davenport on Wednesday, April 13, with The Agony Scene, Misery Signals, and Reflux.
Strapping Young Lad formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994 with lead singer/guitarist Devin Townsend, drummer Gene Hoglan, Byron Stroud on bass, and Jed Simon on guitars.
The Web site PopMatters noted that Townsend "has been behind some of the most insane, visceral, aggressive music to come out in the past decade, as a solo artist, producer ... , and, most notably, as the frontman of the undisputed kings of musical excess, Strapping Young Lad."
The group released its fourth album, Alien, last month, and on it Strapping Young Lad has become more than just an underground metal band. The band has produced neurotic music, full of layered guitar riffs, aggressive lyrics, and blasts of drumming that still allow the listener to appreciate the quality of the music, not just its intensity.
The band chose the title because "of the way it made us feel ... in an alien state of mind," Townsend told the River Cities' Reader. He also explained that the album is about how dumb humans are and finding where one's limits are.
Perhaps one of the most chaotic songs on the album, "Shitstorm" is a song about honesty. The song reaches a new level with the unrelenting blast of Hoglan's percussion. "I wanted to have a super fast song that's about the super aggressive side of my personality," Townend said.
The album's fifth song, "Shine," starts out with a meaty guitar riff and a keyboard in the background, once again joined by aggressive vocals. "'Shine' is a conversation with myself and being at war with myself that results from that turmoil," Townsend said. "It's pretty angry at myself."
The band writes its own music, but "we have a few covers here and there," he said.
Townsend is also known for his solo work on his own HevyDevy Records label. While keeping his record label for his own solo projects, he understands that his focus needs to remain on his band. "I think people are more interested in hearing bands than solo stuff," he said.
For more information on Strapping Young Lad, visit (http://www.strappingyounglad.com).
Strapping Young Lad formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994 with lead singer/guitarist Devin Townsend, drummer Gene Hoglan, Byron Stroud on bass, and Jed Simon on guitars.
The Web site PopMatters noted that Townsend "has been behind some of the most insane, visceral, aggressive music to come out in the past decade, as a solo artist, producer ... , and, most notably, as the frontman of the undisputed kings of musical excess, Strapping Young Lad."
The group released its fourth album, Alien, last month, and on it Strapping Young Lad has become more than just an underground metal band. The band has produced neurotic music, full of layered guitar riffs, aggressive lyrics, and blasts of drumming that still allow the listener to appreciate the quality of the music, not just its intensity.
The band chose the title because "of the way it made us feel ... in an alien state of mind," Townsend told the River Cities' Reader. He also explained that the album is about how dumb humans are and finding where one's limits are.
Perhaps one of the most chaotic songs on the album, "Shitstorm" is a song about honesty. The song reaches a new level with the unrelenting blast of Hoglan's percussion. "I wanted to have a super fast song that's about the super aggressive side of my personality," Townend said.
The album's fifth song, "Shine," starts out with a meaty guitar riff and a keyboard in the background, once again joined by aggressive vocals. "'Shine' is a conversation with myself and being at war with myself that results from that turmoil," Townsend said. "It's pretty angry at myself."
The band writes its own music, but "we have a few covers here and there," he said.
Townsend is also known for his solo work on his own HevyDevy Records label. While keeping his record label for his own solo projects, he understands that his focus needs to remain on his band. "I think people are more interested in hearing bands than solo stuff," he said.
For more information on Strapping Young Lad, visit (http://www.strappingyounglad.com).
